Unilever initiates green drive in the Jebel Ali Free Zone
Representatives from Unilever, Jafza and students from the Jebel Ali Primary School replanting Ghaf trees
As part of a CSR environmental drive aimed at making the UAE greener, representatives from Unilever Middle East and North Africa together with the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) and children from the Jebel Ali Primary School, re-planted Ghaf tree saplings giving them a permanent home in the Free Zone this week.
Earlier this year, on Earth Day; April 22, 2009, employees of Unilever in Dubai had planted Ghaf tree saplings which were now ready to be taken out of their pots and given lasting roots within the Jafza premises.The campaign is part of a wider CSR environmental initiative called ‘Go Green’ launched by Unilever in 2008.
Commenting on the initiative Mohammed Saeed, Managing Director Unilever Gulf said: “Environmental sustainability is a long term agenda for Unilever globally. While the core focus of our CSR activities is addressed via our expertise in nutrition and hygiene, addressing the environment is considered as equally critical by us. Our company has been named sustainability leader in the Food & Beverage sector of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for the 11th consecutive year in 2009. We are committed to the greenification of UAE and have found a supportive partner in Jafza.”
Pat McGillycuddy, Chief Operating Officer of Economic Zones World, Jafza’s parent company said: “Jafza has always been driven to improve the quality of life of not just its employees and tenants but also of the citizens and residents of this country. Corporate social responsibility towards the environment should be a daily practice and something we have been increasingly adopting in our operations worldwide. Economic Zones World is involved in numerous sustainable projects around the world. In addition to starting day-to-day energy saving measures, Jafza houses green warehouses and LEED certified green buildings and has undertaken planting greenery in various parts of the Free Zone. ”
Ghaf Trees, (Prosopis Cineraria) were chosen for this campaign because they are indigenous to this region and have been an integral part of the history of this land. Provider of shelter, shade, food and medicine to both man and animals, the Ghaf Tree is much loved locally and unofficially considered to be the ‘national tree’ of the country.
Dr Sandra Knuteson, Assistant Professor in the Environmental Science BS Program of the American University of Sharjah, states, “I am happy to see sustainable/environmental efforts like these here in the UAE. It is important to incorporate local species, like the ghaf tree, in landscaping, to enhance their conservation efforts. Also, getting the children to consider sustainability and the importance of local biodiversity is one of the many ways we can start to instill a sense of environmental stewardship in the populations living in the UAE.”
Unilever is one of the world’s largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies with strong local roots in over 100 countries across the globe. With a leadership position on many of the categories in which it operates Unilever’s portfolio includes some of the world’s best known brands including Lipton, Dove, Lux, Sunsilk, Knorr, Lifebuoy, amongst others that have today become common household brands. Unilever Middle East and North Africa has its head office based in Dubai, UAE and with local offices and partnerships spread across the 20 countries in the region.
